Snowboards have been a popular sporting device for many years. A snowboard is a singular device ridden by a user standing thereon to slide down a snowy slope. The board is a relatively broad, relatively short, and relatively planar device having two bindings on the top thereof into which a user may place his shod feet so that, unlike when using a pair of skis, both of the user's feet of fixedly positioned relative to one another, on the singular board, during use. Due to the shape of the board and the method of riding, the bindings and feet are generally positioned on the board one behind the other, that is to say one foot towards the front of the board and one foot towards the back, and the bindings and feet are directed generally towards the same side of the board, although they are rarely parallel to one another.
Owing to the various physical qualities of various users, and the various positions deemed comfortable by each user, it is well recognized that optimal binding locations on the board will generally vary for each user. Many binding attachment schemes have been practiced to allow modification of the locations of the bindings relative to the board and to one another. These schemes have been the subject of many patents.
Also owing to the comfort variations of various user's and even of each user during various times, as well as owing to riding conditions and/or terrain conditions, optimal binding directions relative to the board and to one another will generally vary.
Various riding techniques and techniques of use dictate different optimal binding positions at different times, even for the same user. For instance, while sliding down a gradual slope, a user may prefer more or less opening to the angle between the front and back foot than when sliding down a steeper slope. Different riding styles or disciplines, for example slalom, half-pipe, giant slalom, etc., require different optimum stance angles. When traversing a flat unsloped area, the user will generally remove the back foot from the back binding and use that back foot to push h'self and the board forward. While doing so, it is generally more effective to direct the front foot and binding at a slight inward angle from forward. When waiting in queue at a chair lift or riding uphill thereon, the back foot is again removed from the back binding and it is generally more comfortable, more convenient and safer to direct the front foot and binding straight forwardly. While so riding the lift uphill with the front foot and binding so directed, the board may thereby be positioned comfortably on the footrest of the typical chair lift. This prevents the need to and inconvenience of completely removing the board.
The stresses on the user's body during snowboarding can be quite extreme. It is quite common to travel at high speed over bumpy downhill terrain during use as intended. It is relatively common to suffer violent falls and collisions during use not as intended. It has been suggested that such intended and unintended stresses are compounded by the awkward and fixed positioning of the feet on the board. It has been suggested that optimal positioning of the feet on the board for a given user during a given type of use will reduce the likelihood of injury during such intended and unintended use.
It can be easily appreciated that the ability of a user to conveniently redirect the feet and bindings is a advantageous over the inability to do so.
It can also be easily appreciated that the ability of a binding to allow movement of the foot during extreme stresses and thereby relieve those stresses otherwise transmitted to the body is safer than the inability to do so.
Several schemes have been devised to allow rotation of the bindings relative to the board and therefore relative to one another. To date, these schemes have been devised to allow the user to modify the rotational direction of the bindings only when the user's feet are not in the bindings, and only with the use of tools to perform the directional modification.
Such a scheme is disclosed by Carpenter et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,689. As so disclosed, Carpenter's binding direction must be adjusted by first removing the user's foot from the binding, then loosening a hold-down plate by unscrewing an array of mounting screws with a screwdriver, then rotating the binding relative to the board about the mounting plate, then retightening the screws with the screwdriver, then replacing the foot into the binding. The required removal of the binding from the foot and required use of a tool are considered by the present inventor to be a drawback to this scheme. Not only is the inconvenience of removing the binding considered disadvantageous, but the tedious unscrewing and rescrewing of six screws to adjust both bindings is considered quite burdensome. The need to safely carry a screwdriver during snowboarding is an even further consideration to the user. Even though such means have been provided to allow rotation of the bindings, the inconvenience of doing so may be such a discouragement from doing so that very little advantage over having no such means is actually provided.